In the late 1970s, the Syrian capital of Damascus was experiencing a building boom. In the al-Bahsa quarter, for instance, a clutch of old houses were demolished to make way for a new roadway. Among the homes: an 18th century courtyard house with at least one elaborate reception...

The animated feature film "Home" debuted at No. 1 with an estimated $54 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend, giving Jeffrey Katzenberg's DreamWorks Animation a much-needed victory at the box office over the Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart comedy "Get Hard."